Wild and Not So Wild World - Beyond Tiki

JT Jungle Trader Member Trader's Jungle Outpost, Turlock, Ca. Joined: Jan 04, 2003 Posts: 3772	JT Jungle Trader Posted posted on Mon, Apr 20, 2009 11:10 PM Some of you know a few years ago I introduced toads to my pond and surrounding landscape. A red-eared slider also showed up last year on it's own. I suspect it came from my neighbors pond 2 doors down. How the turtle found my pond, I don't know. Last year on Mother's Day I found hundreds upon hundreds of tadpoles attached to the algae with their mouths. I created bogs to protect them from the hungry koi and thus had a few more toads living around the property this year. Just last week I went out to check on things and noticed foam floating around. Foam is a sign of spawning. I thought it was little early for the koi and soon saw a toad trying to hide from me underwater. Toads only go in the water to spawn. So I'm walking around the edge and I hear what sounds like a bird call. It's not. It's the toads calling. I imitated them and sat back very still in a chair to see what would happen. Sure enough 2 toads make a beeline towards me and stopped at the edge. One checks me out for a few minutes and turns around. The other must've watched me straight on for 10 minutes, about 10 ft. away, before he lost interest. It was kinda funny. I know full well what that toad wanted to do to me. Go ahead call me The Toad Whisperer I don't care. Now I gotta find me some frogs. FYI frogs and toads are 2 different things. Frogs live in the water most of the time while toads live out of the water and just go in to spawn. I'm sure you wanted to know that. I've also seen a young red-tailed hawk land on the top of my rootball tiki, checkin out my fish. If you have stories of encounters with the wild, or not-so wild tell it here. Just don't say to me "Jungle, I knew Steve Irwin, and you're no Steve Irwin". I'll bet Chongolio's got some great stories living on the island. [ Edited by: Jungle Trader 2011-10-03 21:37 ]

Some of you know a few years ago I introduced toads to my pond and surrounding landscape. A red-eared slider also showed up last year on it's own. I suspect it came from my neighbors pond 2 doors down. How the turtle found my pond, I don't know. Last year on Mother's Day I found hundreds upon hundreds of tadpoles attached to the algae with their mouths. I created bogs to protect them from the hungry koi and thus had a few more toads living around the property this year. Just last week I went out to check on things and noticed foam floating around. Foam is a sign of spawning. I thought it was little early for the koi and soon saw a toad trying to hide from me underwater. Toads only go in the water to spawn. So I'm walking around the edge and I hear what sounds like a bird call. It's not. It's the toads calling. I imitated them and sat back very still in a chair to see what would happen. Sure enough 2 toads make a beeline towards me and stopped at the edge. One checks me out for a few minutes and turns around. The other must've watched me straight on for 10 minutes, about 10 ft. away, before he lost interest. It was kinda funny. I know full well what that toad wanted to do to me. Go ahead call me The Toad Whisperer I don't care. Now I gotta find me some frogs. FYI frogs and toads are 2 different things. Frogs live in the water most of the time while toads live out of the water and just go in to spawn. I'm sure you wanted to know that. I've also seen a young red-tailed hawk land on the top of my rootball tiki, checkin out my fish.
If you have stories of encounters with the wild, or not-so wild tell it here. Just don't say to me "Jungle, I knew Steve Irwin, and you're no Steve Irwin". I'll bet Chongolio's got some great stories living on the island.

[ Edited by: Jungle Trader 2011-10-03 21:37 ]

Post #448524 by Jungle Trader on Mon, Apr 20, 2009 11:10 PM